Heartfelt Apology
by Twilight Mistress-19
Summary: Years after Link embarks on his journey away from Hyrule darkness seizes the land of the living, thriving on fear, heartache, and sorrow. Unknowing of whether he will return, Zelda rises to protect her land... but at what cost? ZeLink Please R&R!
1. Chapter 1: Into the Growing Darkness

Chapter One: Into the Growing Darkness

**Chapter One: Into the Growing Darkness**

**Author's Note **

**Disclaimer – **Of course I don't own any of these characters; I am simply borrowing them for the goodness of fan fiction!

**Reviews** - Please review if you have time; your feedback is very important and will ultimately lead to the arrival of the next chapter.

Enjoy! :)

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Lightning pierced through the dark, ebony sky while heavy sheets of rain beat the ground like that of thundering drums, drenching anything and everything that was without protection and shelter. As soon as the flash of light disappeared a rumbling roar rattled the earth, making its presence known to the figures below by waking them from their peaceful dreams. Even the trees reacted in fury, disturbed and distraught that they had been awakened from their slumber, waving their wooden arms in protest. The wind was howling like a raging beast, bellowing in the hidden shadows as it prowled its way across the land, uncaring of what direction it was going. All directions and any direction; it didn't matter. Such a fool one would be if they decided to venture out at such a mature hour, especially because of the rabid storm. However, there were some who still made the attempt. Such fools… Who knew what would be lurking in the darkness…?

A cloaked figure materialized from the growing shadows, running forward towards the castle wall while calling out desperately to anyone who would be able to hear.

"Open the gate! Open the gate!" The figure swerved his concealed head in all directions, hoping for a reply. There was nothing. He thrust his fists forward and banged on the drawbridge, but found it was only a futile attempt; the weight of the rain hitting the ground was enough to drown out any other sound. At that very moment a fierce screeching cry shot through air, almost swallowing the sound of the storm itself. His head swung to the side to peer over his shoulder only to find sets of red, gleaming eyes fixed upon him. He was paralyzed; he couldn't move. Not even an inch. Fear struck his entire body, causing him to succumb to the budding darkness. He knew he hadn't a chance.

And so the storm raged on, stirring many into wakefulness, shuddering at least slightly, for the howling and crying of the wind sounded very much like a scream of terror…

Zelda awoke with a sudden start, breathing heavily and drenched in sweat. Her heart was racing at an accelerated rate, faster than she ever thought it could go. Looking around at her surroundings she was reminded of where she was and scolded herself for having such an absurd dream, even though it was more of a nightmare than anything. Her back was resting against the wall of a small cavern, the mouth leading to grassy hills that were dotted with trees and full of wildlife. _I'm safe._ She thought. _But what if my dream was a prophecy? What if it is foretelling the future? _She hated when she dreamt about things, especially when they turned out to be nightmares. There was always a possibility that they were prophetic visions that held underlying messages of which had to be plucked and analyzed; whenever she had visions of the future they of course were never told explicitly, though it would make things a hell of a lot easier. It was like picking through those old, _old_ books for hidden meanings and metaphors that hinted towards what was really meant. To her it was like another language set a side to cause more frustration and confusion. Anyway, it didn't really matter. She had to figure out whether it was a prophecy, and even if it wasn't it would make her feel better getting it off her chest nonetheless. So, with much effort, she leaned on the sword that she had been gripping with her hands, pushing herself into a somewhat standing position.

"I haven't got much time," she said bluntly, looking down at her left side, below her ribcage. Her flesh was peeling along with the cloth that had once covered the area while blackened blood seeped out of the wound at a slow but deadly rate. With that she covered her face with her worn collar and retreated from the cavern, determined to fulfill the task that she had set herself to do. She had to be certain that she wasn't seen, though, so this particular outfit made it so that her movements were more smooth and agile, allowing her to attack quickly if necessary and move from one area to the next in a flash. Now, to anyone but herself, she would be regarded as Sheik, the last of the Skeikah.


	2. Chapter 2: Raging River of Hope

Chapter Two – Raging River of Hope

**Chapter Two – Raging River of Hope**

**Author's Note**

**Reviews: 1**

**Lady.Zayriah – **Thanks a bunch! :) And as far as the "concealed male"… You'll find out later! :P ;)

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Dark storm clouds blanketed the sky, allowing for only a few strands of golden sunlight to filter through and touch the young earth with its dying warmth. It was as if it was preparing for a departure, knowing that it could no longer fight against the mocking shadows that waited for the arrival of night before coming out to play. The heat itself was unbearable, so life draining; it zapped all of the energy one had, leaving them with no strength to defend themselves against twisted fiends that thrived on their weakened state. The land seemed to be in the same predicament; it was slowly turning into a barren wasteland, exempt from life. This was definitely not how Hyrule should be. Not at all.

Zelda dragged herself onwards through the scorching heat towards her destination, though she could not keep up the pace much longer. Her left side was throbbing with pain as she continued to run, as she continued to push herself past her limit of ultimate exhaustion. She knew, of course, that it would only make the _poison _spread faster throughout her body by overexerting herself, but she also knew that time was not in her favor, either. She hadn't much choice. _Damn… _She thought. _If only… _Suddenly her vision blurred and she could feel herself falling, falling into a bottomless abyss…

She collapsed. Her body just couldn't take it anymore. It was too much. And then…

Darkness.

_Where am I?_ She tried to reach out her hand but found that her muscles were locked and tense. She couldn't budge. Her eyes went searching into the darkness, searching for something that would be able to tell her where she was. Nothing. Nothing but an endless flow of shadows. …Or so she thought. Just then a figure materialized facing the opposite direction. She noticed that the character resembled that of a young man, clad in green with a sword and shield slung across his back. _Link! _Zelda opened her mouth to call out his name only to find that her voice was lost. She had no way of letting him know that she was there. He began walking forward, unaware of her presence, and soon he was out of sight, out of reach. And then there was no one but herself.

Zelda opened her eyes to find that she was in a dungeon cell, chained to the damp, moldy wall behind her. Bugs scurried along the ground at her feet, back and forth between directions as though they were uncertain of where to go. Rays of grayish light fell through the barred window some distance above her head, penetrating only little of the darkness that threatened to consume the small, cramped area. _Damn! They must have brought me here when I passed out. _Her body hung loosely from the chains that grappled her wrists, weary from the stresses that it was forced to endure. She was so tired… Out of the corner of her eye she spotted a dark shadow huddled in the corner, unmoving. She stiffened. She wasn't alone…

"Who's there?!" she cried. No reply. She repeated herself. "Did you hear me?!" Finally it answered with a weak, muffled voice.

"Who…wants…to know…?" The voice belonged to a man, and it seemed really familiar to her somehow.

"Answer me!" She was growing very impatient.

"It's Link…what is it to you, anyway?" he said hesitantly.

She froze. It couldn't be… Could it? Maybe her weariness was starting to get to her.

"Link? Is that really you?" Zelda stared into the remote darkness, half-expecting for there to be no reply, that he was only a figment of her imagination.

"…Yes. Who are you?"

"Zelda." There was a pause.

"I…haven't seen you for what's seemed like forever." He replied weakly. "Hyrule…isn't the same as it used to be. It's almost as though…it's being infected by some sort of _disease_."

At that moment pain shot through her entire body, radiating at such a high level that it was more than just unbearable. They had to quickly escape if there was any hope left for Hyrule's future. Zelda pointed her right hand at the clasp that held her wrist tightly on the left, focusing her energy into using the magic that she had learned to create a ball of fire. As soon as it was formed she flung it at the metal chains that clung to her, repeating the same steps over and over again until all restraints were destroyed. She stumbled slightly but managed to walk over to where he sat leaning against the wall. When she was close enough she discovered various markings and wounds that covered his body, including his face. No wonder he was weak; he was losing too much blood!

"Link! You're severely wounded!" She cried. For the moment she forgot about her own pain, more concerned for his safety than she was for herself. She reached out to touch him and placed a hand on the side of his face, brushing his bangs out of the way so that she could peer into his solemn, blue eyes. _I have to do something to help him. _She thought to herself. _Otherwise, if he continues to lose as much blood as he has been, he'll die! _Zelda brought her other hand forward and held his face, knowing exactly what she could do. Before he could resist her hands were already enveloped in a bright, blue light, causing the outline of his body to glow slightly. Time passed and for every second that went by Zelda grew weaker and weaker, feeling the little life that she had within her being transferred into him, healing his wounds one by one. Then, once again, everything went black.


	3. Chapter 3: On the Run

Chapter Three – On the Run

**Chapter Three – On the Run**

**Author's Note**

**Reviews – **Thanks for commenting, Lady.Zariah and UseYourImagination! Greatly appreciated! :D

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Darkness. Nothing but darkness. No matter how hard she tried to evade it, it seemed to follow her, to remind her of its existence. She felt trapped. Trapped and alone, without any help, without any hope. She was the only one left, engulfed by the hungry shadows that were swarming all around her. _This is it. _She thought. _This is what the world has come to… I have failed to protect the land of Hyrule, failed to protect my people… Oh, what a leader I've turned out to be. And Link… _She held her breath, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to fall. Then, when all seemed lost, through the darkness she heard a distant voice, but she could not make out what it was that it was saying or who it belonged to for that matter. It continued to repeat itself, becoming progressively louder and clearer each time.

"Zelda, wake up. Wake up." _What?_ She was confused; wasn't she already awake?"Zelda, please… Wake up." _Then that means…_

With much effort Zelda slowly opened her eyes, at first having no recollection of where she was or how she had got there; it wasn't until after she recognized the objects that were situated in the dark, musty room that she recalled what had happened. She noticed a pair of strong arms enveloping her in a close embrace, providing her body with support and warmth from the one to which they belonged to. Looking up she saw Link's eyes fixed upon her while his face reflected a sense of relief. This caused a faint blush to creep up onto her cheeks.

"L-Link? What're you doing?" She said, stuttering.

"You're really sick. I couldn't just lay you down on the moldy, old floor, now could I?" He attempted to smile, but she could see right through him. She did hold a lot of wisdom after all, well beyond her years. Something was bothering him.

"I'm fine." She stated candidly, trying to force herself into a sitting position. As a result a familiar rush of pain radiated from her side, causing her to feel as though she was on fire. She tried so hard not to scream, not to show Link just how much agony she was suffering through. So, instead of reacting to it she simply forced herself to stand, despite the fact that her wobbly legs would most likely defy her and allow the effects of gravity to take its toll. He took this as an invitation to stand as well and seized hold of her arm, almost as though he was afraid that she would be swallowed into the growing darkness.

"Hey, careful…" Link spoke softly. "You're going to hurt yourself." They gazed at one another, studying the other's expression.

"Link…you're alright." She gave him a weak smile, happy that he was completely healed.

"Yeah… But I'm more worried about you. That wound of yours…" He trailed off.

Ignoring the rapid beating of her heart she turned away from him, grabbing one of the bars that kept them imprisoned in the dungeon. _I must not lose focus… _She scolded herself. _There isn't much time left. _"We have to get out of here." Her eyes scanned the surrounding area outside of the cell, spotting a skeletal wolf sitting in a corner holding a set of keys in its mouth. She was then inspired with an idea, though she wasn't exactly sure of how effective it would turn out to be.

"Come here, boy! Come on!" She whistled, trying to capture its attention. It only tilted its head in response, confused.

"What the _hell_ are you doing?" Link stared at her as though she was out of her mind.

"Do you have a better idea? It's not as though you're equipped with your weapons or anything." _They must have robbed him of his weaponry items, _she thought to herself, _before throwing him into the dungeon._

"But…" he hesitated. "That's a demon wolf. What it if tries to attack or something?"

"Just trust me. We haven't much time." Then, resuming her position: "Here, boy! Come on!" To Link's surprise the skeletal wolf trotted over and stood directly in front of Zelda, tail wagging. Bravely patting its skull she removed the keys from its mouth and unlocked the door. "What a good boy." She smiled and set the keys down in front of the skeletal wolf, giving it one more pat before grabbing Link's hand, pulling him behind her as they began to run up twisting stairs, guided only by the faint light that was emitted by the torches on the wall. Zelda heard a faint whimper and the shifting of bones on the cobble stone floor as the boney figure sprawled out, sulking. Even though it wasn't exactly alive, she couldn't help but feel sorry for it; she had always been a sucker for animals.

"How did you do that?" Link managed to say in between breaths.

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "By the tone in my voice. Animals sense fear, so by displaying a gentle, valiant attitude towards them they instantly warm up to you." He just looked at her, amazed by her wisdom. As soon as they reached the top of they stairway they followed another path down a long corridor, hoping that it would lead them outside. The clashing of metal and the heavy sound of footsteps behind them caused them to race forward, aware that if they were caught there would be no hope for survival. Link boldly peered over his shoulder as he was running only to find that a knight, massive in size, was not too far apart from them.

"They're gaining!" He cried. Just as they reached the entrance the knight swung its long, broad blade at them, missing only by a few inches. Hastily running outside both Link and Zelda closed the heavy doors and rammed a broken spear, which had been on the ground by chance, in between the handles. Link then called Epona, his loyal horse that accompanied him in battle, and mounted her quickly, Zelda sitting in behind. Then, with the snapping of reigns, they galloped away from the deserted wasteland, the weary princess, with her head resting on his back, falling into a peaceful sleep.


	4. Chapter 4: Reunited Once Again

Chapter Four – Reunited Once Again

**Chapter Four – Reunited Once Again**

**Author's Note**

This a lot shorter than the others… sorry about that!

**Reviews** – Thanks again for your comments, Lady.Zariah and UseYourImagination! :D

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_What is this? It's so warm…_

Zelda opened her eyes to find that she was on a horse, leaning against someone as the world went by in a blur. Then she remembered; Link. They had escaped the dungeon together. Suddenly the horse slowed down and eventually stopped, allowing the hero to dismount along with the princess. Her legs defying her, Zelda stumbled forward into Link who managed to put his arm around her quickly enough to provide her with some support. At that moment their eyes met and time itself seemed to stop. She couldn't help but stare into those beautiful blue eyes of his. Years could have gone by and she wouldn't have even noticed. Her heart started to flutter and her face was becoming flushed. What was happening? _No!_ She thought. _I can't… It wouldn't be right…_ She pulled away and walked over to sit under the nearest tree. He followed.

After several minutes of silence Link was the first to speak. "Zelda?" She turned her head in his direction.

"Yes?"

"I missed you." She blushed. "I mean…" Link scratched the top of his head nervously, as though it would help him to find the words he wanted to say. "I never stopped thinking about the days that we spent together, when we were kids. I considered you the closest friend I ever had." Zelda's face felt like it was on fire.

"W-why did you leave?" she replied in almost a whisper.

"I felt that I had to. Something was missing and I had to find out what it was. But…" He looked at her with such seriousness that her breath caught in her throat as she waited for him to speak. "I started getting home-sick. There's only so long a lonely traveler can go on without being close to anyone. And…I…wanted to see you." His hand reached up and touched her face, stroking her cheek with his thumb. Then, without warning, he leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers, closing his eyes while holding her tightly in an embrace. Taken by surprise her face turned a million shades darker, but she did not resist. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to fall into the kiss, lost in a feeling of ultimate bliss and happiness.


	5. Chapter 5: A Twist of Fate

**Chapter Five – A Twist of Fate **

**Reviews**

**Lady.Zariah – **Thanks, Lady.Zariah! They are such a cute couple. My favourite, actually. :D

**la generala – **Um… I'm not quite sure what you mean by "great drables", but thanks for your review nonetheless!

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She had never felt like this before, so close, so happy. There wasn't a time in her life that she could remember ever having the opportunity to experience the miraculous wonders of joy and pleasure; at such a young age she was forced to look after responsibilities that were well beyond the little control she had. Freedom to be her own person, her own unique self, was way out of the question. She never had the time for friends, never had the time to develop close relationships with people like so many other girls she knew of in the market. It was so unfair… So many burdens placed upon her shoulders with no one but herself to make the attempt to solve them. It was such a lonely world for a princess; it wasn't what others thought it was made out to be. Especially without the support of her parents, since they both had passed to the next world, her mother dying when she was but a small girl and her father slain by Ganondorf, who once bore the marking of the Triforce of _Power_. Link, with all of himself, was her savior, the bearer of the key to the happiness and joy that had been locked away and sealed for what appeared to be ages.

Before they parted from one another she felt a stabbing pain in her left side, causing her to pull back and open her mouth in a silent scream. It was then that Zelda realized what had happened. Within his right hand he clutched a dagger that was dripping with blood, _her_ blood. At that moment her heart was overwhelmed with sorrow, not able to comprehend that the one that she trusted the most was the one that had betrayed her. His face darkened, his mouth twisting into a menacing grin. "Surely you don't think that I could ever have feelings for you." He laughed. "How pathetic. You're as worthless to me as you are to your country."

"How could you…? Link… I thought…" Her eyes were brimming with tears, her heart shattered into a million little shards and fragments along with her hope and faith. It was herself against the world, it seemed. What did it matter, then, if she wasn't in it? She was tired of suffering, of being alone, of being tormented. It was time that she did for herself. It was time, she felt, to release herself and find peace that cannot easily be disturbed. Within moments she succumbed to the growing darkness, unaware that the figure of Link had changed; in fact, it wasn't Link at all. It was a _shadow lurker, _a kinsman born from a pool of darkness, the very darkness that had begun to follow her at the very earliest stages of her life.

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He held his breath as he gazed at Zelda's unmoving form while she lay in bed, watching for any movement that would signify life, allowing him to know that she was going to be alright. She was so pale; it was like the goddess of winter had left a mark upon her body, causing her to lose the colour and warmth that she once had. Link didn't know what to do. The only thing he could think of when he had come upon her motionless body that day, when she had collapsed from overexertion, was to take her to the nearest village to seek help, but obviously that wasn't enough. It was almost as though she was fighting an internal battle, struggling against something that had infested her. He then turned away, striking the wall in front of him with his fist, tears threatening to fall. Why? Why was this happening? Why didn't he know about this? _Why did I leave?! I swore to myself that I would protect her with my life, and now… Now… _Link glared at his bruised fist, his shoulders shaking as he tried to maintain his image by not surrendering to his emotions. Then, his mind wandering, he remembered a fragment of the past memories that they had shared together when they were younger, before he had left to embark on his journey away from Hyrule.

"_Link!" Zelda motioned for him to follow her before running forward, laughing with glee. They were in a meadow full of a variety of flowers with a mixture of colours ranging from blue and violet to red, yellow, and white. Golden butterflies gracefully hovered through the sky, landing periodically on the nearest flower as if to rest from their short flight. The sky itself was blue and was filled with the warmth of the sun as it shone down onto the garden of dreams below, onto the trees that were scattered across the hills with long blades of grass hiding their wooden feet. From time to time they waved at one another in a friendly fashion, almost as though they were making up for not being able to portray their happiness through a smile._

"_H-Hey! Wait for me!!" Link ran after her, unable to control his wild bursts of laughter. He loved being with her, no matter where they were together. As soon as he caught up to her she smiled at him and fell back into the grass, staring up towards the white, puffy clouds that marked the sky. He did the same. Time passed as they laid side by side, enjoying the other's company. Then, pointing at a fox-shaped cloud, Link said " Hey, that one looks like a keaton fox, don't ya think?" Zelda giggled. _

"_You're right! Hm… That one looks like… Ganondorf as a pig!" They roared with laughter. Link continued. _

"_That one looks like yo –" Link stopped, beginning to turn red. "Uhh… I mean…" She just smiled, though he did not notice that she was blushing as well. Then, out of the blue she sprung at him, playfully wrestling. Despite his efforts, however, Link failed and found himself pinned on the ground, unable to move. _

"_I win!" Zelda gleamed, claiming victory. _

"_Hey! No fair!" Their laughter filled the air as the memory began to fade away, almost as quickly as it had come. _

"Ahem!" Link was brought back again to reality, finally noticing the presence that lingered in the doorway. It was a woman, her face bearing many years of age and wisdom, holding a tray full of food. The dress that fitted her round, short, stubby body was ripped and patched_, _looking as though it had been to the other realm and back again, accompanied with a black cloak that hung over her shoulders, allowing her to maintain her body temperature and remain warm. He at first stumbled to recollect himself, fumbling with words.

"Uh… I –"

"Do ye not have any manners? I bring thee some food for the young lass and you have the nerve to pay me no attention?"

"No, I –"

"Well! That be the last time I'll –" She trailed off when she noticed the worried expression reflected in his face as he glanced at Zelda's motionless body. "Ye be troubled I see."

"Yeah… Do you know what's wrong with her?" She shook her head.

"Nay. But an idea comes to me; this land is being infested by an ancient darkness holding such power that not one man could relinquish the shadows and bring light upon the earth once more… Such could be affecting her as well, me be afraid." Just then black blood slid out of the corner of Zelda's mouth, causing Link to sink to his knees beside her frantically looking for a way to stop it. The lady dropped the tray of food and ran out into the hallway, screaming. "Help! Help!" She stopped to speak to another being that worked in the inn, providing them with orders to follow. "Send for the medicine clerk! Go with haste!" Without question they quickly went on their way.

Link, reacting on impulse, leaned over the side of the bed and stole from Zelda a kiss, which upon his doing he felt such an unbearable sadness that he had never felt before, and with it, fear. He closed his eyes, a single tear streaming down the side of his face. All he had now was hope, and even that did not bring him much comfort. _Zelda… _He thought. _If only you knew… how much I cared about you…_


	6. Chapter 6: Feelings Revealed

**Chapter Six - Feelings Revealed**

**Reviews **

**Lady.Zariah – **Yeah… I actually had a hard time bringing myself to write that chapter because we all know that Link would never do that to Zelda. Oh, how they are such a perfect couple… :D

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The flames hungrily licked at the air as they grew and spread across the land, scorching everything in their path, unable to rest until everything was completely consumed and destroyed. Pitiful cries of agony pierced through the humming of the fire, enough to cause the tiny hairs on one's neck to stand on end. And then she realized where she stood; she was looking down upon her land, Hyrule, as it was crumbling right before her very eyes. The castle was ablaze, castle town suffering the same fate. There was no turning back. Mothers carrying their infants were clutching onto their frail bodies as they tried to run to safety, hysterical and overwhelmed. Swords were clashing and blood was spilled, seeping into the cold, scarred earth. Murders most foul were occurring over the state, tainting Hyrule's past history of peace. If this wasn't hell she didn't know what was. Then, everything went black.

She slowly opened her eyes to find that she was laying in a bed situated in a small room that she had never seen before, at first oblivious to the pair of eyes that was watching her. Pain rushing through her body, Zelda pushed herself into a sitting position clutching her side. "Zelda!" her head instantly whipped around to the source of the voice, surprised and fearful. It was Link, the one who she deemed had betrayed her.

"You… Why are you still here? I don't want anything more to do with you!" She snapped, restraining herself from crying.

"W-What?" Link said, obviously hurt. "I…don't understand."

"You betrayed me."

"No I would never—"

"Stop lying!" She exclaimed. "You said that I was worthless! You attacked me!" Her shoulders started to shake as she tried to suppress the tears that threatened to fall, but the difficulty was increasing. Then, in almost a whisper she said "You…You said that you didn't care—" A single tear slid down her face despite her efforts to evade revealing her emotions. To her surprise, however, he plopped down onto the bed in front of her and wiped it away with his hand, gazing into her eyes.

"Zelda," he said soothingly, "It was a nightmare. Nothing more than that. I would never do that to you because…" He looked away, muttering under his breath. "I love you." She stiffened. Did he really mean it? Was it really only a dream? Had she been so quick to believe that someone of Link's nature would be able to bring himself to do such a thing? She had been foolish. Of course Link would never do something so foul. Looking into his eyes she could see that he was sincere with his words, yet she did not reply. Just then the searing pain in her side returned, intensified and well beyond her limit of tolerance. Zelda gritted her teeth as she held back a scream as the pain level continued to rise, not subsiding. Lifting part of the cloth that covered her wound, Link found to his horror that her body was beginning to turn to stone.

"W-What's happening to you?!" he stammered.

She looked away from his anxious eyes, unable to look directly at him. "There isn't…much time…" Zelda said weakly. "Link…You must take me to the heart of Hyrule, the Fountain of Life situated in the very centre of the land. Please... I have only but borrowed time; we have to relinquish the darkness before it is too late…" Without hesitation Link scooped Zelda into his arms and ran out into the hallway, noticing that the inn was empty. Once they were outside they spotted the searing flames that spread quickly across the barren wasteland, leaving them no choice but to mount Epona and flee towards their destination before falling victim to the raging fire. Zelda's prophecy had indeed come true; the darkness was spreading, lead by a dark figure and his clan of shadow lurkers that could take on any form, which would in the end cause utter chaos.


End file.
